Training Log Archive: Dangerman

Once I stop hurting, I will attempt a concise write up.

Aussie Riders - I paced myself up the hill just hitting my pre set limit of 172 a few times. Got the map and actually read the instructions but started running before having thought it through. Decided to do a loop keeping as close to the finish as possible and picking up the minimum number of controls with maximum aussies. Was Henrick Housler included? He is keeping his Aussie citizenship I heard but he didn’t start this years tour. My route could have been better had I decided on it before I started running.

MTBO Leg 1 - Transition was ok but a bit fiddly with all my gear. I made sure I ate at this stage as the run would have been expensive even though I paced myself reasonably well. After stopping short (due to scale) I found #1 and went to punch my SI tag. No dice - I couldn’t see it. I got that sinking feeling that I had forgotten my my punch card and left it in my car. Ride back to car and start rather disappointed that I had made another big mistake so early and this despite my slower pace and greater attention to detail. Of course, there was no control card, so after getting a spare, punching #1 I got to #2 to see the SI brick and realise my error: cue mining melt down in front of Juffy and Jen (Sry!)

Not to worry, I continued on, a little deflated and made the best of it. The scale kept catching me out and making me stop short most times, till I got annoyed with that and ended up doubling my distance estimations. Then I overshot instead, together with Juffy :-/

Ex2 - Had trouble planning this leg - too many variables to consider for me at that time. The MTBO controls were hard due to the seriously overgrown nature of some of the tracks. I walked the majority of one of them to 13 I think. I chose to do 2 foot controls closest to the TA. That way I could run to them directly, rather than having to use the winding single track. I think I may have gained a few minutes here (at most 5).

Sinlgetrack - Sweet section this. Went pretty close to the limit all the way, especially so after I almost rode into the 1st control and then realised that they were there to ensure we went on the single track (and therefore easy to spot) and not to test our powers of observation. Also had a classic moment of showing off. Dolf hits the deck in front. As he is getting up and Liz is standing there, I come by over the table-top, jump the 1st ramp, air it and land cleanly on the 2nd ramp :-D - it could not have been scripted better.

Brewery - A bit confused at the start as there were 2 fence lines, although Tooms did point out that only 1 went uphill. Got the controls cleanly as I saw the first 2 and then McNiff and others passed my Cliff Young Shuffle pace to show me the location of the remainder. Even managed to note that something had buttery overtones @ 4.3%. A reference to TdF stage oil on the decent?

Winery - should have remembered my 1st Note to Self from Killamunda here and read the instructions properly. I would have then looked for all the controls before running off the get them.

Transition to TA5 - pain started here. Unbeknown to me, I was running dry ... on water. The cool weather.... no, my memory had failed me and I had forgotten to drink enough. Only had about 1.5l throughout the whole event. No wonder my stomach felt odd - all that food without any water. After the Damn Wall Tree control, I had to walk the steep hill to the farm. I then opened my can of HTFU and hammered the ride in thinking that it’s only pain and pain is temporary.

Orienteering - How true - pity the temporary bit doesn’t elapse until I stop! Hard leg this one. Had to fight the mental demons and one nav error made that a little bit harder. Some self talk got me back on track and I trudged the remainder of the course, even managing to run the hill into the finish.

Oh what could have been! The initial MTBO error and the lack of water cost me. I still managed to retain some power on the bike while dehydrated but it really cost me on the run where I was overtaken by countless others. Without the MTBO#1 stuff up, I would have had more of a buffer. Oh well, tomorrow is another day :-)

C • Hurting? 1

C • Confirmation ... 1

Still a bit ill :-(

Also a bit more sore than I expected after the rugby game. Nevertheless, at least that means I have done some running in the past 2 weeks.

A wonderful nights sleep last night. I forgot that it was Bastille Day when I started watching the tour. Once I realised, I pressed the "off" button and went to sleep. Bastille day, a hard first week and half and the tough mountain stage the day before = French riders racing and everyone else going through the motions.
Might even get some sleep tonight too - it's a flat stage.

We just missed out on making the final - same points as 4th placed team but they got it on a count back. Great fun evening. I never knew this game required so much thinking - my stereotypes showing through again!

C • S'ok 4

But feeling better!
I've decided to view this cold as a forced tapper for KillaFergus.
There's always a positive :-)

Poo :-/

C • The runs? 2